Basu: Who'd have thought it? Fascinating job interviews
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- Rekha Basu
Questions for Justice Wiggins?
Justice Wiggins will be my guest on "Between the Lines" Thursday. If you have comments or questions for him, e-mail them to me.Richard Blane's wife had these parting words for him before he left for a job interview Wednesday: "Don't embarrass the family." No joke. Most people's interviews aren't broadcast live on the Internet, where any gaffe can be witnessed by bosses, families and anyone else. And this one could linger on the 'Net forever. But if you really want to talk pressure, consider the position Blane was applying for: Iowa Supreme Court justice.
In what made for a remarkable 3½ days of online viewing last week, the state's 15-member Judicial Nominating Commission interviewed, live on camera, 60 candidates to fill three justice positions. From a viewer's perspective, seldom do voyeurism and civics lessons come together so perfectly. After all, you almost never get to sit in on someone else's job interview, and you can learn a lot from seeing how successful people at that level conduct themselves.
Plenty has been said decrying the circumstances that led to the current three openings on the court. An organized campaign in reaction against the high court's unanimous same-sex marriage ruling led three highly competent justices to be turned out in a retention vote. That gave the search for their replacements a special kind of drama.
The big question was how candidates would discuss the ruling, if at all. Would they praise it, knowing acting Chief Justice David Wiggins, who heads the commission, was a part of it - though he said he'd welcome a justice who thinks differently than him? Or would they aim instead to please Gov. Terry Branstad, who will pick three justices from the nine finalists the commission has now sent him? Though the governor has said he wouldn't ask about the ruling, he wants justices who, in his words, will "restore credibility to the judicial branch."
The big question was how candidates would discuss the ruling, if at all. Would they praise it, knowing acting Chief Justice David Wiggins, who heads the commission, was a part of it - though he said he'd welcome a justice who thinks differently than him? Or would they aim instead to please Gov. Terry Branstad, who will pick three justices from the nine finalists the commission has now sent him? Though the governor has said he wouldn't ask about the ruling, he wants justices who, in his words, will "restore credibility to the judicial branch."
Most candidates I watched were careful and circumspect on that subject, though some used language that hinted at their disapproval, such as "judicial activism" or "legislating from the bench." Candidate David Hanson said the respective branches need to remember to "Stay in your lane." Justin LaVan called for judicial restraint and said, "As a Christian, I'm bound to follow the laws of God and his word." Nathan Callahan, an associate district judge, said, "Our creator gave us rights. The Constitution guarantees limits to how governments exercise their power." And former U.S. Attorney Matthew Whitaker said, "Iowans are smart and sophisticated. They sent a message to the court that things need to change." But others said the vote outcome was a shame and that they wouldn't base their rulings on public opinion.
The commission is made up of equal numbers of elected lawyers and lay people appointed by a governor and confirmed by the Senate. The candidates included 35 trial attorneys and a dozen or so district court judges. Many have applied before. Since these people could someday wield a lot of power, or already do, one wondered how they'd perform in the hot seat. Would they appear confident or nervous? Would they be all business or tell jokes, read from a text or speak ex-tempo? Whom would they quote?
They did all of the above. They quoted, variously, from Aristotle, Charles Dickens, Thomas Jefferson, William Blackstone, Oliver Wendell Holmes, "The Right Stuff" and even "Saturday Night Live." Some touted their work ethic, others their passion, compassion, pragmatism, volunteerism, communication or coalition-building skills. Some spoke of humble beginnings in drafty houses, of cleaning up after hogs on the farm. Others shared the experience of being raised by a single mother or father, and discussed the values instilled in them by parents.
Assistant Attorney General Jeanie
